


Improvisational Camping

by jesuisaubergine



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Camping, Hurricane block party, Is there another name for that pairing?, Just something to break up the pace of my usual writing, Kleptoshipping - Freeform, M/M, Mild Language, This fic is "in america", also because its July 4th
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-05 07:18:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15165467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jesuisaubergine/pseuds/jesuisaubergine
Summary: When their camping trip gets rained out, Bakura has a surprise in store for his boyfriend... AU Kleptoshipping





	Improvisational Camping

**Author's Note:**

> I needed something completely different to freshen the pallet because I've been working on my last two fics for god knows how long and I want to something fun on the side. So expect some random one-shots along the way as I keep working BLD.

Bakura sat on the windowsill, watching the water droplets race down. He urged one to go faster, a pointless little race to pass the time while the storm raged on. The weather was always sporadic throughout summer. One day, the sun would burn you to a crisp, the next, lightning flashed across the sky. You learn to expect these sorts of things.

Still, Bakura felt mildly shocked and disappointed by the monsoon that threatened to drown Domino City.

Of all weekends for a hurricane to slam the east coast, it had to be their camping trip weekend. They had spent weeks anticipating their few days off. Bakura, while not much of an outdoorsman, had grown eager for a trip away into the Appalachian. Away from the hustle and bustle of this city a few nights away with his boyfriend sounded phenomenal.

Bakura sighed heavily, scowling at the droplet he had been cheering for lost. A gust of wind splashed more water against the window. Bakura was lucky they lived on the third floor in the apartment building, watching the drains overflow on the streets below. A number of businesses had closed due to weather, and the others that remained open were short-staffed. Nobody wanted to go work on a miserable day like this one.

Bakura heard his phone chirped, digging into his pocket. He had a snapchat from Yugi, one of the poor unfortunate souls who did make it into work today.

Bakura opened the snap, a picture of the water puddling in front of the shop, warning all potential shoppers to stay away. The caption read,  _"If the customers can't get to me, does that mean I can leave?"_

Bakura snorted. He took a video of the streets in front of his apartment, one car moving slowly while water splashed around his tires. For a moment, Bakura wondered if the flood waters would win, but the driver managed to make his way uphill, avoiding the disaster.

Bakura shot him back the video.  _"Well, I can always pick you via kayak if this keeps up."_

Yugi replied a few seconds later with a selfie. He was slumped across a desk, a pout on his face. Bakura raised an eyebrow at the stolen black jacket his boyfriend wore, most likely stolen from the last time he visited.

" _It's the only use we're going to get out of it this weekend D':"_

Bakura bit his lip, thumb tapping the edge of his phone. He got the email last night from the camp ground letting them know they would be closed due to the impending hurricane. Yugi had been holding out hope that the storm would miss them, but an unfortunate shift of the weather had the storm hitting them dead on.

Bakura huffed, blowing up a bang as he wrote out his next message, not bothering with another picture.  _"I know. It sucks :P"_

" _Any chance the weather will clear out by tomorrow?"_

Bakura took one glance out the window, trying to think of some assuagement he could offer but none came to mind. He figured he should be honest than lie. " _Doubt it. It's supposed to rain until Sunday."_

" _Damn. I don't get out until four. I need to find a better job."_

" _Yeah, you do. But at least we have the weekend to hang out?"_

Bakura bit his lip, waiting for Yugi's message. He knew Yugi was disappointed, but Bakura had a back-up plan in mind. Unlike his partner, Bakura was a realist and figured something would go wrong on their long-planned trip. When he first suspected that the weather would keep them from going on their trip, Bakura started making contingent plans.

After all, they had a four-day weekend ahead. Surely they could make the most of it.

Yugi's response was less enthused, another selfie of his face buried into his arms, one eyebrow raised. " _That's true. Your place after work?"_

Bakura looked back across the living room to the hallway. He hadn't given it much thought, realizing his apartment wouldn't be good for their plans. He lived with a roommate, and his roommate recently got himself a boyfriend. Kek came over last night to hang with Malik and Bakura hadn't seen them this morning.

Bakura was grateful the heavy rain drowned out any noise from down the hallway, but he still didn't want any interruptions. Bakura winced, taking a quick selfie to better display his own disgust and annoyance.  _"Your place would be better. M &K are home right now…"_

" _Yikes. My place it is."_ The message was quickly followed up by another. " _Holy shit, there's an actual customer here. Gtg 3"_

Bakura sent off a quick " _3"_  back, knowing that Yugi would be distracted for a bit. He shoved the phone back into his pocket, pushing off the windowsill. Bakura scampered down to the closet at the end of the hallway. He ignored the noises coming from Malik's room, pulling out several grocery bags he had hidden from Yugi.

Yugi worked until 4. That gave Bakura five hours to get everything set up before then.

* * *

Atem button-mashed through the dialogue scenes, trying to speedrun through the game as quick as possible. Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney had a different opinion on the matter.

Atem rolled his eyes, not even looking at the screen as he repeatedly pushed 'A' on Yugi's DS. There was nothing better to do today. Atem had contemplated doing a load of laundry while he crashed his cousin's apartment, but didn't feel the need since he and Yugi were the same size. He stole a pair of sweatpants and a Pokemon t-shirt he found buried in his drawers.

Atem had been cranking through games all morning, waiting out the storm. Yugi wouldn't get out of work for another few hours. Maybe they could call up some of Yugi's friends and have a Super Smash tournament. Since his plans had been cancelled, they may as well make the most of the situation.

With an irritated sigh, Atem closed out of the game, deciding to finally go eat. He wandered to the kitchen, pulling out bread and whatever he could find in Yugi's fridge to make a sandwich. While Yugi normally didn't keep a grand inventory, he had gone out to buy food for his camping trip this weekend. Since the camping trip was no more, Atem figured he could help himself to whatever food laid hidden here.

Atem sat at the bar, looking out into the living room as he took his first bite. He let his mind wander aimlessly, trying to think of other things to do during the day so he wouldn't get cabin fever. Yugi's apartment was small – a one-bedroom apartment. It didn't leave much room for most anything.

Atem contemplated these questions when he heard the lock on the door click. He raised an eyebrow, expecting Yugi and instead got his boyfriend. Bakura didn't even glance in Atem's direction, shoving the door open as he dumped a duffel bag and a backpack on the floor. Bakura stomped out immediately, water dripping from his hair as he went back out to grab more stuff from his car.

Atem didn't say anything, taking another bite from his sandwich. He watched Bakura make another trip up the stairs. It wasn't until his third trip up that the albino realized he had company. He jerked his head to the right, staring at Atem, who smirked.

"What the fuck are you doing here, dickwad?"

Atem took another bite before speaking. "I could ask you the same thing. I'm crashing here."

Bakura narrowed his eyes. "You're  _what?_ "

Atem rolled his eyes, fighting the smile that crept onto his face. "All flights out of Domino were cancelled due to the storm. I was headed home today, but weather's a bitch. So Yugi offered to let me stay with him until the storm passes."

Atem bit back a chuckle when Bakura groaned. The albino tilted his head to glare at the ceiling. "You've got to be shitting me. I can't have you around here!"

"Why, because of our amazing chemistry?"

Bakura jerked his head back, storming over to the bar. He slammed down his wallet and keys, tugging off the sweater he had worn to protect him from the rain. "First of all, fuck you. Second, I had a back-up plan in case our trip got rained out, but I can't exactly make that magic happen with you hanging around here. So beat it."

Atem snorted, rotating his chair to recline further back. "Ha. Like hell I am. I'm staying right here."

"There are hotels you can stay at, you freeloader! Go check out a room and GTFO!"

Atem didn't want to admit that the staying in a fancy hotel sounded pretty good. Instead he scoffed, deciding to push his luck and see what he could do to push Bakura's buttons. With their history, the albino did not deserve a free pass. "That involves me spending money that I don't need to spend. I'm nothing if not practical and that won't do."

"Bullshit you are! I know your rich ass flies first class whenever you want!"

"True, but I'm not about to make myself scarce on your account."

"Fine!" Bakura leaned in close, his dark eyes gleaming, a wicked grin on his face. "Then do it for your cousin – unless you want to hear him getting fucked all night."

Atem smirked, leaning closer. He chuckled, shaking his head. "That's adorable that you think that line will work. You're a shameless bottom – I definitely know that."

Bakura snatched his sweater and flung it at Atem. Atem didn't have any time to move away, the soaking wet piece of cloth smacking him across the face. He supposed there were worse things an ex could throw at him. Well, technically not an ex, more of a "hook-up gone wrong and now he's fucking my cousin" scenario.

Still didn't make the situation any less awful in Atem's book. Especially since he was convinced Bakura was only doing this to piss him off after they broke it off. Yugi tried to convince him that things were great between him and Bakura, but Atem had his doubts. Bakura was many things, but "sensitive" and "thoughtful" were not traits attributed to the albino.

Atem peeled the sweater away from his face, dropping it to the floor with a wet smack. Bakura glared at him, his nose scrunched up in a scowl and his face a blotchy red. His last words definitely got underneath Bakura's skin. Atem leaned back, closing his eyes. "Why should I leave Yugi in your care for the night?"

"Gee, I don't know, because we're fucking dating and he doesn't need your permission to go out?"

"Doesn't mean I can't disagree," Atem muttered. He was being petty, sure, but part of him felt compelled to fight back. Bakura pissed him off, but more than that, Atem was really concerned about Yugi. He knew Bakura had a rep for being harsh and jaded. And from Atem's experiences, not a very understanding person either.

Bakura stood back, eyes narrowed. Despite their bad blood, the albino kept pressing the issue. "What'll it take for you to leave?"

Atem snorted, returning to his sandwich. He spoke while chewing. "Get me the presidential suite at the Valkyrian Hotel and then we'll talk."

Atem expected some outrageous protest, some more swear words and profanities along the way. He did not expect Bakura to pull out his phone, lean against the counter and start searching for the website.

Atem blinked. "Wait, are you fucking serious?"

"Yeah, I'm fucking serious. If that's what I'll take to get you the hell out of here, then take my goddamn paycheck. I can't waste time arguing with you here when I need to set up," Bakura snapped back, snarling the words but still typing without pause.

Atem shook his head. Bakura must be desperate to get laid if he was going to pay  _Atem_  to stay at the finest hotel in Domino City. Atem dropped his sandwich on his plate, walking around the bar. He eyed the bags gathered on the floor, noticing the sleeping bags, food, and what looked like a craft kit.

"Wait… are you those?" Atem pulled out a bag filled with glow-in-the-dark material.

Bakura dropped his phone, snatching the supplies out of his hands. "Don't fucking touch! I'm paying for your hotel and you snoop through my stuff? Dick!"

Atem didn't say anything, realizing what Bakura had planned. Atem felt bashful, ashamed even, for his earlier suspicions. He could tell by the way Bakura's ears burned that the albino was less angry and more embarrassed that Atem had stuck his nose where it didn't belong. Perhaps he shouldn't have snooping, but Atem felt his paradigm on the man before him suddenly shift.

Perhaps Yugi was on to something when he said Bakura had a sentimental side.

Atem sighed, walking back to the bar. He grabbed his plate and put in the sink. "Save your money. I'll pay for the hotel room."

Bakura snapped his head up from his phone, credit card in hand. "Wait, what? Will you make up your damn mind? What do I have to do-"

Atem snorted, cheeks burning. He was trying to do something nice for them and Bakura couldn't even let him do that much without assuming there was an ulterior motive. Thankfully, Atem could work with that. "I see no need to rob from the poor. Consider this my good bit of charity for the week."

Bakura snatched his wallet, shoving the credit card back into place with more force than neccessary. "I don't need your fucking money, asshole."

"Of course, you don't. But you certainly need yours. How long have you been at this job? Less than a year?"

"Three years, fuckwad! Not all of us get a company for a birthday gift!" Bakura hissed, storming over to his bags.

Atem chuckled but said nothing else. He snatched his suitcase off the couch, tugging on a pair of shoes. Bakura could do whatever he planned on doing here. He would catch a ride over to the Valkyrian Hotel. Despite the storm, Atem hoped that their other services would be open. A massage and spa day sounded delightful after the conversation he just had with his "ex."

The two men ignored each other while Atem gathered up the last of his things. He requested an Uber, looking forward to treating himself for the rest of the afternoon. Before he forgot, Atem leaned over, snatching Yugi's DS to bring with him. He would make sure to return the game to his cousin before he left.

However, Yugi probably wouldn't miss it. After all, he had a very busy weekend ahead of him.

* * *

Yugi's manager (finally) took pity on him around two and told him to go home. Only one couple came by hours ago and they just hummed and hawed around the game shop without buying anything. Thirty minutes Yugi tried to make a sale and get a commission, but after a "we're just looking," Yugi gave up.

He shot a quick text to Bakura letting him know he would get home early. Yugi didn't have a car, so he puffed his cheeks, standing under the awning while he braced himself for the rain. The rain wouldn't let up any time soon so Yugi would have to bite the bullet and run for it.

Yugi contemplated texting Bakura to come pick him up, but the wind gusted past him, threatening to push Yugi into the puddles. The longer he stood there, the more drenched his clothes became. So Yugi snapped his umbrella into place, a few of the wires bent from this morning's walk, racing out into the streets.

Yugi grimaced, eyes screwed up against the water splattering into his face. He fought against the wind, knowing he would be soaked by the end of his three-block walk. Although working at a game store had its perks, his anal boss always gave him terrible hours. Bakura kept telling Yugi to find another job, but Yugi wasn't ready to give up on the gaming industry yet.

He hadn't told Bakura, but he had been thinking about designing his own game.

Yugi shook his head, water dripping from the tips of his spiked hair. It was an ambitious idea that probably wouldn't come to fruition, but Yugi could still dream. He bounced around the idea of a start-up, making his own game and then watch and see if it caught wind. It didn't necessarily had to be a board game. Yugi played enough high quality indie games off Steam to want to try his hand at it.

And perhaps if he built up his reputation, he could open his own game store-

Yugi laughed, closing his umbrella as he arrived at his apartment building. A flash of lightning darted across the sky, rumbling through the city. Yugi was getting ahead of himself. He needed to just focus on finding another job. Maybe work on designing a game on the side. He could bounce the idea off Bakura, who would likely be practical and shoot it down, but maybe he had some ideas.

Bakura was a bit unpredictable but had a good heart. Though their cancelled camping trip bummed Yugi out, he still looked forward to a weekend with his boyfriend. He knew Atem would be hanging around, but maybe the three of them could game the night away. Assuming that Atem and Bakura didn't rip each other's heads off before then.

The stone-gray building matched the sky above Yugi, a monolith of urban development. Nobody bothered going in or out on such a miserable day. Yugi stomped his boots, shaking off the excess water before pushing past the glass doors. He sighed, relieved to see the light on in the main lobby. He had feared that the storm would knock out power.

Yugi leaned against the elevator wall, the silence a welcome relief from the sound of rain. He normally didn't mind, but the game store had a thin roof and the sound of unceasing rain wore on him all day. The downpour had mocked him all morning, reminding him of his cancelled camping trip.

Once the elevator let him out on his floor, Yugi passed a row of doors. The sound of friends and family gathered together to pass the weekend filtered into the hallway. It created an almost festive air about him, defiant and joyful as each apartment threw their own hurricane block party. Yugi wouldn't dream of asking his friends to suffer through the weather to get to his place. His apartment was too small to begin with.

Yugi reached the end of the hallway, fumbling his keys for a moment before jamming the right one into the lock. He half-expected to hear Atem playing video games – the walls were very thin – but it was relatively quiet. Bakura wouldn't be over until around four. Yugi could prep Atem for that to try avoiding an unavoidable argument. A guy could hope.

Yugi flung the door open, standing in the doorway at the sleeping bags on the floor. He raised an eyebrow, noticing his couch shoved into a corner. In the middle of his living room sat a tent. The new tent that he and Bakura picked out for their camping trip this weekend (or rather Yugi picked it out and Bakura went along with his choice).

Yugi puzzled over the tent when he spotted a few things out line. The posters on his walls were covered up, a series of green and brown bedsheets carefully arranged to resembled tree trunks. His ceiling light was dimmer, noticing the fake leaves that had been taped atop of the rectangular fixture.

A sound rustling down the hallway informed Yugi that he was not alone in his apartment. His heart skipped a beat, the umbrella falling out of his hand. Yugi took a tentative step into what he knew was his apartment, but visually disorienting all the same. "Uh… Hello?"

The soft shuffling down the hallway stopped abruptly. Yugi leapt back, panicked when a white-haired man bursted out of the bathroom, a scowl on his face. "You weren't supposed to be home until four!"

Yugi looked over Bakura, his boyfriend's hair frizzier than normal. He carried a bunch of plastic toys of various colors, but Yugi had no idea what those were for. Bakura had an uneven blotchy blush spreading across his face.

Yugi shook off his coat, laying it on the counter which had not been overtaken by the artificial forest in his living room. "My boss let me out early… Care to let me in on what's going on here?"

Bakura gazed around the mess spreading through Yugi's apartment, avoiding eye contact. "Well… Not that it's a big deal, but I kinda had a back-up plan in case we got rained out of our trip. But the whole point was to surprise you and now I can't so it doesn't matter-"

Yugi watched Bakura, who frowned at the bags of unfinished work that he wanted to complete Yugi got home. He stood with his fists on his hips, muttering under his breath. It dawned on Yugi as he leaned back against the counter. "Wait… You mean you did all this so I could still go camping this weekend?"

Bakura refused to look in his direction. Yugi knew he was hiding the splotchy red that blossomed on his face every time he was embarrassed. Yugi grinned, watching his boyfriend crouch down to grab a bag of plastic bag, dumping his handful of color toys into the bag. "Yeah, well, not that it matters. It's not the real thing so don't read too much into it."

Yugi bit his lip, trying to keep from giggling. The sensation bubbled up in his chest, delight warming his chest. He knew better than to relish these sickly-sweet moments. Bakura was a sap but hated being reminded of that. Instead, Yugi moved to kneel next to Bakura, glancing into the bag. "Are those… plastic fish?"

"… Maybe."

Yugi raised an eyebrow, reaching to pull out one of the fish. A small loop rested at the mouth of each fish, most likely designed for a children's toy fishing rod. He tried to make sense of what this was and what Bakura was trying to do. After a heavy sigh, Bakura's shoulder's slumped. "It's so we can go fishing. I have other stuff in in the bathtub and I thought we could make a game out of it."

"Other stuff?"

Though it seemed impossible, Bakura's face grew even more red. "… Rubber ducks. With… um, well-" He reached into another bag, pulling out one of the rubber ducks. He flipped the bottom where it read "bite."

Yugi looked down at the plastic fish in his hand, flipping it over to read the designated body part. His face started to burn, feeling both flushed and flustered. "Oh."

Bakura raised a hand to push back his bangs, dragging his fingers through his wild mane. "Yeah, 'ohhh.' Forget about it. This was a dumb idea. I'll go clean up-"

Yugi snatched Bakura's hand, grinning ear to ear. He leaned in close, enjoying the wide-eyed look his boyfriend game him as he brushed their noses together. "Don't you dare. This is the sweetest thing you've ever done and I gotta say, it's a total turn on."

Bakura's mouth dropped, gaping at Yugi's words. He looked like he wanted to run away from his spot, yet Yugi snatched the lapel of his shirt, holding him close. Bakura fumbled over his words, eyes darting between his boyfriend's large amethyst eyes. "I… This is jus- We can… Run that by me again?"

Yugi giggled, brushing his lips against Bakura's. "You acting all embarrassed and bashful is also a big turn out. I think this will be the most amazing camping trip. What other stuff is there to do at camp?"

Bakura inhaled deeply, nerves dissipating as his fingers wandered into Yugi's crown of hair. "Working on a nature trail where we can take scenic photos. Fire pit is almost set up so we can live like real wilderness men-"

"I am going to get my deposit back on this apartment, right?" Yugi pulled back, suddenly worriex at the idea of a fire pit in his apartment.

Bakura chuckled, leaning back and standing up. "Don't worry. It's nothing more than a glorified Bunsen burner. Smoky the Bear would be disappointed if we started a forest fire."

"As would your boyfriend," Yugi muttered, but let the issue go. He followed after Bakura, who paused in the hallway. He turned back, an almost boyish grin on his face.

"Want to see my favorite part?"

Yugi shrugged, though secretly excited by Bakura's sudden show of eagerness. "Of course!"

To his surprise, Bakura darted to the windows, yanking the curtains to block out the storm outside. Yugi raised an eyebrow, not comprehending. "Did you want to start your fire first?"

Bakura slipped past Yugi, flicking the lights off. "Don't need to. Look up."

Yugi, though skeptical, looked up, gasping at the array of greenish-white skyscape above him. He tried not to laugh, but he couldn't keep from giggling. He covered his mouth as he looked at the sea above him. "Are those glow-in-the-dark stars?"

Unlike other instances where Bakura had been embarrassed, he gave a confident grin as if proud of this decision the most. He walked up behind Yugi, wrapping his arms around his waist. "I'm not one for the outdoors, but the thing I had been looking forward to the most was staring up at the night sky and looking at the stars with you. I don't know, it just seemed… nice."

Bakura's words tapered off at the end, but Yugi's chest swelled. He leaned back, resting against Bakura's chest as he looked up. He flicked his eyes up, catching Bakura looking down at him. Though Yugi wished he had a few more inches, he couldn't think how perfectly sized the two were for this.

Yugi didn't get his weekend away in the mountains camping, but he got more than what he bargained for. They could be nerds and try indoor camping for the weekend. Though others might scoff at their attempt, Yugi couldn't think of anything better. With his boyfriend holding up as they looked at their stars together, Yugi couldn't imagine anything else he wanted to do more this weekend.

Well, there was one other thing.

Yugi turned around, leaning up on his toes to give Bakura a quick kiss. "Want me to help set up the rest of the campsite?"

"May as well since you're here."

Yugi grinned, snatching the bag of plastic fish and ducks off the floor. He grabbed Bakura by the hand, leading him down the hall. "Good. Because I think we should get the fishing pond set up first!"

Yugi didn't hear any complaints to that as he dragged Bakura down the hallway.


End file.
